Medical Malpractice Attorneys and Lawyers

How do I get a medical power-of-attorney?

I have always managed my husband's health care. The privacy laws have made this so much jumping-through-the-hoops. We want to get mutual PoAs so that he can get/give medical information if he ever has to, and of course so I can cointinue to take care of these things for him? How do we start. We are in Ohio.

Public Comments

1. Contact your county's medical society to see if they have forms you can use. Otherwise, enlist the aid of an attorney who specializes in matters of estate planning. Powers of attorney fall into this category. Note that in order for powers of attorney to be valid you must follow to the letter the instructions for signing and getting them witnessed or notarized.
2. Go to your local stationary store... many of them have different powers of attorney for sale. Go to your local hospital and ask for the ombudsman's office they have these forms for free. You should also check into completing an "advanced directive" too.
3. Your doctors should all be able to take a signed statement by each of you that the other has complete access to your health records, etc. Getting a medical POA is very sound: http://www.hcdecisions.org/Instructions.asp has some good info and the link for the form is here: http://www.hcdecisions.org/HCD_forms.pdf The second page is what you want. Personally, I would advise strongly AGAINST a living will unless you read something like Michael J Laurence's A Matter of Life and Death: Informed Advance Health Care Directives. The info most people are showered with, as per TV shows and movies, is SO erroneous it's disgusting. People do NOT understand why it would be foolish to say NO to CPR, a ventilator, etc. CIRCUMSTANCES should dictate if that's a good move or not, so that is why the medical POA is far superior to the "living will." While you are at it, DO get a DURABLE financial POA as well. You will both be glad you did. Laurence's book discusses that and why you'd want it/need it. (Laurence discussed medical, legal, and spiritual aspects of end-of-life and crisis care decisions.) Please also follow Laurence's suggestion to get the essentials of med history, etc. onto one typed page that you have multiple copies of. Make sure it's kept up-to-date and that each doctor has one and you have one in the wallet, one in your purse, the glove compartment if you drive, your refrigerator would be good (depending on who has access, maybe put it in an envelope). IF you need 911 that sheet could speed things up and reduce errors. A back up medical POA is wise (what if you're both in an accident and unconscious?) That person should have current accurate med info as well. Do get the AZ form notarized and all--not sure what Ohio has as its law re: medical POA, etc. but it never hurts to have important documents notarized.